Dirty Little Secrets
by Devin Prewit
Summary: The children of Roxanne Weasley and Jes Wood are finally old enough to go to Hogwarts, but soon notice something strange about their fellow classmates. A strangeness they share. Parents' dark secrets unfold as their first marrital intentions are revealed.
1. Chapter 1

--CHAPTER ONE--

"Ash!" came the whisper of a familiar feminine voice with unfamiliar anxiety. "Ashton, wake up!"

He felt a light shake about his bed and a tickle of perfectly even hair upon his resting cheek. The switch hanging from his brilliant blue bedside lamp was pulled, and his eyelids screwed themselves even more tightly closed over his brilliant blue eyes as the room was flooded with a cool blue glow. After seeing no light while sleeping for several hours, however, this seemed to be a bright, blazing sun shining just in front of his tired eyes.

"Ash, c'mon! Today's the day!" said the girl standing over him, trying to wake him up.

At this, excitement bursted through Ashton's body and propelled his entire torso upright, mouth agape and eyes widened. The young girl quickly shifted backwards so as not to allow his face to bump into hers. Even so, Ashton found himself staring straight into two deep hazel eyes of great enormity from a distance of less than two inches.

The pretty little girl backed away and giggled as she allowed realization to engulf her younger brother. It struck him so hard that he didn't even mind his abrupt awakening. It was September first, and little Ash was finally old enough.

He exclaimed, "Nel! Do you realize-?"

"Shhhhhh!" she whispered, putting her finger to her pretty lips.

"But it's!-" he persisted.

"Shh! I know, that's why I couldn't wait to wake you up," she said trying to calm him down.

"We're going to Hogwarts!" they chimed together and then quickly shushed each other while stifling more giggles.

In a few hours, each would be first-years aboard the famed Hogwarts Express, going to none other than Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They weren't twins, but merely were separated by about ten months, and thus were both starting in the same year- this one! What could possibly be more exciting?

"What time is it?" asked Ashton once they had settled down, with Nel sitting criss-cross at the end of his bed, and himself leaning against his squashy pillow.

Nel flung her watch wrist to a point just in front of Ashton's eyes, causing him to fall backwards, and nearly hit his head on the light blue wall behind him. She quickly withdrew her hand to place it over her mouth as she apologized amidst her startled laughter. But Ash was in too much of a good humor to retain any anger, and merely took her hand and read the watch himself. It started as 6:03 but changed to 6:04 once he blinked in the bright green light it gave off.

"Aw, man- We still got another half hour until Mom makes us breakfast! She and Dad won't take us until after we've finished, Nella" said Ashton, disappointed.

"Have you packed yet?" Nella asked him eagerly.

"A week ago. You?" Ashton replied.

"Yesterday," she said smiling.

"So what can we do for the next half hour? I'm to excited to go back to sleep." He groped for his trusty water battle and took a large sip.

"Maybe we could bring our bags to the door to save time," Nella suggested hopefully.

"Yeah, but we'll have to quiet. Mum and Dad won't want to be waken up, I think," Ashton said.

"Yeah," Nella nodded in agreement.

Ashton got out of his bed and pulled on some socks. He walked over to his door and hoisted his bag up onto his bed. He snatched his water bottle in order to take it with him. He always kept a self-refilling water bottle close by. His parents told him he had one of those sicknesses in which one constantly has to rehydrate himself. Strangely, he did not have to use his bathroom any more than most people.

"I'll go get mine" said Nella eagerly.

After brushing his teeth with Nel, Ashton walked out of his room, up the hallway (tip-toeing past his parents bedroom), and down the first flight of stairs. At the first landing, he stopped to allow his scurrying sister to catch up. When she had drawn up next to him, they proceeded to the unlit kitchen, whose lights flickered on as they stepped upon its tiles. They crept past the family Crup and plopped their impedimenta onto the carpeted hall just before the doorway.

They then climbed onto the tall chairs surrounding the island counter of shining granite and merely stared at the clock for a few moments- a common ritual for early mornings. The clock on the cream-colored wall across read 6:09. Little time was bought by their small attempt at time consumption.

Nella sighed and occupied herself with her impressive reflection. She stroked her glimmering deep brown hair with ashen tones, and admired its thickness as she drew it into a pony-tail. The diameter of the hair where her dainty fingers held it had to be at least two inches. She then released her hair and allowed it to fall gracefully back into place. As usual, every single strand was exactly the same length, gradually flowing from relatively strait to extremely wavy along her neck, and ending in even curls at her slender waist. It always seemed to grow that way, and always to that length. She could get a hair cut one night, only to see it at precisely the same length it was before, the very next day. It didn't really grow any longer, either. The only exeption were two collections of strands at each side of her forehead. Each became wavy about an inch past their roots, and spiraled into curls at the level of her nose, refusing to end anywhere beyond or above a point just below her chin. Though she could not see it in the grey granite, her smooth skin was the perfect combination of fair and tan. She looked more like their father, Jes Wood.

Ash, however, was his mother's son. His skin was tanner than Nella's, but not as tan as his mother's, and he inherited a lessened variety of his mulatto mother's slightly large lips, and flaring nostrils. Although his mother, Roxanne, was the daughter of an African-British Angeline, she retained the bright red hair of her Weasley father, George. Ashton also had this trait, but his hair was darker- almost reddish purple in color. His electric blue eyes must have been due to a recessive gene, as neither parent had them. One particulary peculiar trait of his was the presence strange faded scars at either side of his neck, like he had be cut three times on each many many years ago. His parents had him read an exerpt from a muggle text book as an answer. Apparantly, all humans have gills while embryos, but these usually evanesce by the time they are ready to exit through the birth canal. In some cases, he read, a baby could still show the remains of these at either side of their neck, but these often fade before adolensence. Ash's 'gills' hadn't faded.

To break the pressing silence, Ash asked his sister, "So, Nelly, what house do you think we'll be in?"

She raised her dark eyebrows in surprise at him, and said, "Well Gryffindor, of course."

Ashton smiled and murmured, "Well I hope so."

He was growing impatient. Ash had been so excited for this particular day for as long as he could remember, but felt as if he couldn't wait another moment.

Then suddenly a light turned on in the room at the top of the stairs. Nelly and Ashton turned to the stairwell as it was filled with light with the opening of their parent's door. Light, slow, steps began to be heard as someone came tentatively down the stairs.

"Hello?" came the sweet, but powerful voice of their mother. There seemed to be a bit of panic in it as well. "Who's there?"

She peeked her head around the wall of the stairway- with her wand in hand- but at the sight of her children's eager faces she clapped her hand to her heart and stepped backwards in relief.

"Who did you think it was, mum?" asked Nelly, grinning.

"Yeah, mum, who'd be after us?" Ash added teasingly.

She hesitated but said, "Well no one, of course. I just want to be careful that's all, huns. Well why are you to up so bright and early?"

"Bright?" said Ashton.

"The sun isn't even out yet!" laughed Nelly, her eyes twinkling.

Their mother smiled to show two sets of even, brilliantly white teeth between two gorgeously plump lips, and stepped in to the light of the kitchen, displaying her imperious beauty. Her skin was a light, creamy chocolate, and her fiery red hair curled crisply and tightly in a loose bun which reached nearly halfway down her back. She gave both Nel and Ash a kiss and hug good morning, and waved her long, mahogany wand at the cabinets drawers and fridge. Pots, pans, dishes, silverware, food, and baking materials quietly flew out from these cabinets, and placed themselves in appropriate positions. Forks, knives, spoons, and plates slid gracefully to the areas in front of Nella and Ashton in two perfect table settings. Napkins unfolded in their laps and glasses of cold milk filled in their hands, much to their marvel. Nel and Ashton loved to watch their mother prepare meals. It will be something they'll miss dearly at Hogwarts.

The thought that this would be the last time they saw their mother prepare food until Christmas time was a bit discerning, but Ash tried to push it from his mind. He didn't want to spoil his dreams of Hogwarts, and did not want to acquire cold feet.

In what seemed like no time, Ash and his older sister were eating a delicious array of breakfast delicacies including egg's Benedict, crapes, pancakes, buttered toast, sausages, and bacon. Their mother prepared her own plate and another for her husband, and sat down next to her son. He tried to savor every moment of this last meal with his mother for a long time.

As he was sinking his teeth into a particularly juicy piece of a blueberry crape, he felt a gruff pat on his shoulder. He turned to see his burly father grinning at him, and said 'good morning' through a mouthful of blueberries. The Father of the family said good morning to everyone, and took his seat next to Nel. Nel and Ash rushed through their meal, but politely waited for their mother to finish, and even waited for their father to satisfy his humongous appetite. When his father finally ate his last bite, Ash rushed to the sink to wash his plate and put it in their dishwasher. His mother could have easily cleaned it with one wave of her wand, but doing 'muggle' work was supposed to build character. Nel followed closely behind him, and washed hers once Ash was done.

He returned to his seat to await the washing of his parents' plates only too sit down and hear a loud raspberry emit from the seat of his pants. Nel turned and scrunched up her nose as their mother scolded him and their father laughed jovially.

"It wasn't me- I swear!" he said to his family's disbelief.

Ash got up and looked at his seat, which was, to his surprise, lacking a whoopee cushion. He searched wildly about the room for any possible culprit, creating a flatulent noise with every step, honestly denying fault. Then suddenly-

CRACK!

A short and stocky old man appeared right in front of Ash, causing him to walk right into the old man's protruding stomach and stumble backwards.. The man was covered in freckles, and the little hair on his head was a red more vivid than both Ash's and Roxanne's. The man stopped Ash from falling backwards, and messed up Ash's dark red, curly hair.

"Grandpa!" exclaimed Ash, hugging the 60 year old man tightly.

The front door opened and a tall, African-British woman stepped in, her dark gray hair in hundreds of tiny braids, saying, "George, you can't just go around pranking people and appariting into their homes as they finish their breakfasts- Will you ever mature?"

"Of Course not, Darling!" he said merrily, holding her by her slender waist.

She was nearly a head taller than George as she stood next him.

"Sorry, Rox," said George's wife to Ash's mother, grinning.

"Grandma!" said Ash happily, allowing Grandma Angelina her to bend over to hug him and kiss his cheek with her corpulent lips.

Nel ran over and joined the hugging.

"Mom- Dad- I didn't expect-" began Roxanne as George and Angelina came over to hug their daughter.

Mr. Jes Wood greeted his mother-in-law with a hug, and his father-in-law with a firm hand-shake.

Grandpa George beamed at his two grandchildren and said, "Didn't think we'd miss the send-off of our two eldest grandkids, did you?"

Nel and Ashton smiled and shook their heads.

Roxanne suddenly looked up, "That reminds me- I'll go wake the girls."

She then walked up the stairs and disappeared. For several minutes, Jes, Ashton, Nella, George, and Angelina caught up with each other and reminisced about previous events. Roxanne finally emerged with two tiny six year olds in tow.

At the sight of their grandparents, each scampered around their mother and jumped into the arms of their mother's parents, one in each grandparent.

"Good morning Fenella," said Angelina lovingly.

"Good morning Gisel," greeted George.

The two identical twins then ran to their father to wish him a happy morning and climbed up onto the two seats next to him, waiting patiently for breakfast. Their beautiful red-brown hair hung in swirls from low pony tails tied in ribbons of blue for Fenella and green for Gisel. Gisel wore a soft green dress with a wide cloth belt of the same color wrapped around her torso just above the naval and below the chest, with matching green sandals. Fenella wore an identical dress in white, but with a light blue cloth belt and matching blue sandals. Each had adorably huge brown eyes, and dark freckles dabbled densely across the nose and cheeks. As a tribute to their quarter-African descent, each had slightly large lips, but as with Ash and Nel, one could not identify them as partially African by merely looking at them. Their mother could even pass as a one hundred percent Caucasian. But, one could tell she was partially African if they were expecting it.

Roxanne fixed plates for her parents, even though each said 'no thank you,' and fed her twins as well. Once all the plates had been washed, Ash and Nel were nearly at a bursting point- they just had to get going to King's Cross Station. But before they could urge their family to the door, George called tem over too him.

"I've got a little surprise for you two!" said George smiling. He withdrew a wooden whistle caved into the shape of an eagle owl and blew powerfully through it, and a high-pitched, nearly unbearable sound rang out from it.

Ashton and Nel clenched there ears in pain, but as they looked around, everyone else was un-phased. They looked at the whistle as though it was broken, and at the two writhing kids as though they had five heads each.

"Why on earth will we need that?" exclaimed Ash wildly once George had stopped, staring at them.

"Oh this is not your gift," he said, surprised at there reaction. "But you two must have very good hearing to have picked up such a frequency… This is your gift." He pointed his wand to the window above the counter between the door and fridge, and opened it wordlessly.

A magnificent Eagle owl flew in with her golden tawny wings spread in majesty, carrying not a note on her slender leg, but clenching what looked like a bowl made of straw, twigs, and fur.

"You're giving us Aquila?" asked Nel, raising her eye-brow in confusion, recognizing the bird as Roxanne's childhood pet.

"No, no, no- look at what she's carrying!" said George grinning at them.

"You mean that bowl thing?" asked Ash squinting at the owl as she landed gracefully at the center of the granite counter.

"That 'bowl thing' is a nest, and I'm talking about what's inside it," explained George calmly.

"Oh… You mean-" Nel began as she darted to the island countertop.

Aquila politely stepped off the nest she was sitting on so lightly, and gestured Nel and Ashton to take a look with one feathered wing. Two cream colored eggs, a bit more spherical than chicken eggs, lay peacefully in their nest, displaying light speckles on the roundest ends. Aquila, being a good mother, stepped back into the nest and incubated her offspring. Ash and Nella looked to each other open mouthed and gleeful, and then into the bright orange eyes of their mother's favorite pet. The twins were staring at the nest in wonder, and the adults grinned at Nel and Ashton.

"Dad, I don't know what to say," gasped Roxanne, stroking Aquila. "Kids, say thank you."

"Thank you!" they said enthusiastically in perfect unison.

"Oh, it was no trouble. I know how expensive owls are these days, and figured it would be difficult for you and your husband to buy two of them. One for Ashton and one for Ornella. It was all Aquila's idea actually, wasn't it girl," he patting the owl fondly.

The owl nodded her head, and everyone laughed.

"What do you mean it was her idea?" asked Jes.

Angelina looked to George and smiled, "She fell in love."

George looked away bashfully and walked to the door. As he opened the door, a white wonder flew in and landed next to Aquila. A bit shorter than she, this snowy owl had glowing yellow eyes and white feathers tipped in dark gray. Jes recognized this one.

"It's Snowy!" he cried, seeing his parent's owl. He looked to the door as another couple walked in.

Mr. and Mrs. Wood were about the same age as the Weasleys, perhaps a year or two older. Mr. Wood had the same dark eyebrows as his son Jes, and granddaughter Ornella, except his and Jes's were much thicker. He also had the same burly build as his son. Jes must have gained his hazel eyes from his father as well. His wife, Katie Wood (maiden name: Bell), was not nearly as tall as he was, and her eyes were a soft blue. Ash always assumed he inherited her eyes. Though her hair was dark gray as she stood in his doorway, he knew it was once an almost black shade of dark brown, even darker than her husband's brown (now graying) hair had once been. The four kids rushed to their paternal grandparents, who greeted them with much love.

Hugs and hand-shakes were exchanged between adults and all was blissful, as Snowy cuddled his mate, Aquila, while she incubated their very own eggs. Nel and her brother waited at the door in an attempt to hint their impatience, and eventually the entire family was gathered at the spot, all prepared to leave- even their Crup, Peanut.


	2. Chapter 2

--CHAPTER TWO--

"Mom, we have to go!" Nel whined as she walked out the door behind her brother, but was not followed.

"We'll be fine dear it's only ten of seven. The train doesn't leave until 11:00," she answered calmly.

"But we never got our wands, remember, the line was much to long the day we went," Ash argued.

"Oh," she said, eyes widening, "I nearly forgot."

"Then can we please go?" begged Nel impatiently. Peanut yelped in agreement.

Roxanne smiled at the dog and nodded. "Let's go Jes! Kids say goodbye to your grandparents."

Nella, Ash, and the twins said their goodbyes and thank yous, and Ash asked his Grandpa George one last question.

"How'd you do it Grandpa?"

George chuckled and held out what looked like nothing.

"Invisible impact-activated whoopee cushion (portable remote-controlled edition)… trademark Weasley and Son Wizard Wheezes," he said matter-of-factly. "Which reminds me…"

He pulled what looked like two puff balls out of thin air with a wave of his wand and levitated the shimmering stardust blue silver-tipped one to Fenella, and the vibrant one, slowly switching from lime green to turquoise and back, to Gisel. He waved his wand another time and a large cage with an elaborate tube system, sparkling pool and built in perpetually flowing water fall, exercise system, and food dispenser.

"Two pigmy puffs and a semi-self-sustaining home environment from my wife and I. I'll tell you more on how to raise them properly when you get back, okay? I'll say happy birthday now. I'm sorry but your Uncle Fred and I won't be able to make to your birthday tomorrow, but Grandma will come with Fred's boys. Well, happy birthday Fen! Happy Birthday Gisel!" George explained to his youngest grandchildren.

Though slightly disappointed their Grandpa and his son wouldn't be with them for their birthday, they were extremely exited about their two new adorable pets and their luxurious house. They expressed their gratitude with rushed hugs and thank yous as Roxanne thanked her parents as well and Nel and Ash tried to get them out the door.

"Dad, would you mind if we took the Ford Anglia? - We're cutting it awful close," Roxanne called back to their Uncle George.

"Sure, darling," he answered and threw the keys straight up in the air.

Roxanne rolled her bright brown eyes, and began to walk to where she thought they'd fall, only to see Aquila and Snowy fly out of the door, Snowy catch the keys with his small but powerful legs, and fly them into the turquoise Ford Anglia. She smiled and got into the drivers seat of the car, the door opening itself for her, as he husband loaded the trunk, and her kids got in the car. The owls perched passively upon the topmost trunks and By the time Mr. Wood got in the front passenger seat, Nel and Ashton were already safely buckled in the middle row, with Fen and Gisel in the back, cradling their new pets, thinking of names.

"Lily?" one suggested as the car began to move. "No- Marsha…"

"Marsha?" said the other wildly as the car went faster and faster. "What kind of name is that?"

"This one's mine to name, not yours!" the first said as the stream on the left and forest on the right began to pass at an alarming rate. "Besides, what are you calling yours?"

"I'm not naming it until I find out if it's a boy or girl!" she answered defiantly. The wheels began to press against the road less and less

"Let me see them," said Ash politely while the wheels parted company with the dirt road.

The girls looked at him suspiciously and hugged their pygmy puffs closer to them and the car flew gradually higher.

"Quick, before she turns on the Invisibility Booster," he exclaimed, noticing their high speed and elevation. "I can tell you whether their male or female!"

They hesitantly passed the blue and green balls of fluff to their older brother and waited. Ash had read the newest 'In Depth' edition of Newt Scamander's Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, and thus new exactly what to do. He tickled the chin on each with his pointer fingers and a long, thin tongue shot out of each. The tongue of the stardust blue stuck to the right sleeve of Ash's shirt, and gave Ash time to see its color of a pale pinkish color before it retracted. A female. The tongue color changing one, attached to the stardust blue, was a darker, reddish pink. A male. He explained to Fen that hers was female, and explained to Gisel that hers was male. They thanked him gleefully and took back their pets graciously.

"What are you gonna name yours, Gisel?" asked Fen.

"Hmm… I'm thinking Hamilton," she replied.

Luckily the Invisibility Booster was turned on at that moment, and Gisel didn't see her sister scrunch up her face in dislike.

Fen recomposed herself and said "Oh- okay. I'm naming mine Graciella."

"Isn't that Grandma Kate's middle name?" asked Nella.

"Yep," Fen replied simply.

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

The rest of the carried was fairly anticlimactic, even though Roxanne was driving at an abnormally high speed due to the limited time frame. It was nearly ten of ten by the time they landed discreetly in a parking lot occupied by many cars but little humans, and became visible once more.

They practically sprinted to the abandoned building known to witches and wizards as 'The Leaky Cauldron,' run by Hannah Longbottom, once a Hufflepuff classmate of all four of Ash's grandparents and some of their siblings.

The family of six passed quickly through the bar, briefly greeting Hannah, but paying no attention to the slightly colorful crowd. Jes tapped the appropriate bricks and they were walking down Diagon Alley in what seemed to be no time at all. The kids would have love to explore and window shop once again, but the shortness of time did not permit such enjoyment. They were forced to walk briskly to the wand shop, Ollivander's.

Upon arrival they opened the door gently and quietly walked inside to wait for the storekeeper to finish with his current client. She was girl who, judging by her looks must have been a first year as well. Even in her extreme youth, she was 

one of the most beautiful women both Ash and his father had ever seen. Her silvery blond hair which was nearly a snowy white was cut rather short and tied tightly in a small bun at the hairline of her nape. She dressed very modestly in average-looking muggle clothing, and tried move in an awkward manner, but there was an inevitable grace to her. Even in the dim-light of the eerily quiet and musty wand shop, her silvery, long-lashed eyes could be seen glowing behind two oval-frames of cobalt blue eyeglasses. Even these could not veil her supernatural beauty.

The wand maker, whom Ash knew to be known as Absalom Reid, a great-grandnephew of the last living Ollivander, was at the moment searching the vast library of long, thin boxes for the right wand. Considering the pile of rejected wand boxes, this was not the first try. He emerged from the many shelves carrying several wands, and had her try each one at a time. Time after time either nothing or something disastrous, such as the explosion of a cracked lamp, would occur whenever one of the wands was placed in her hand. Then finally, one wand remained.

"Hmm…," pondered the nearly middle-aged Reid. "I didn't expect… The core of this wand is very rare. Very few wands are sold with such a core. Yet I have already sold more than one this week. I might have use of these after all."

He withdrew several strands of shining white hair nearly as long as the girl was tall, which drifted beautifully in the air as if a draft was passing through. Ash raised his eye-brows. He didn't know that unicorn hair was that long.

He handed her the box. She read the label and looked up at him surprised. She seemed to recognize the hairs as he raveled them onto a spiel and placed it in his pocket.

"Go on," encouraged Absalom, a misty look in his moon-like eyes.

She hesitantly lifted the lid off the box and gripped it daintily with her left hand. She looked somehow as she held the wand in front of her. The insecurities which lined her eyes with worry seemed to disappear as a look confidence filled her shining eyes. Several strands of hair broke loose of the tight bun and blew wildly but gracefully behind her as a stream of soft silvery blue vapor flowed from the long and thin, almost pinkish wand. Ash thought she must be a very powerful witch if she could produce such a display and such a wind.

Suddenly the blue turned to red and orange, and the stream turned to fire. Birds of flame began to fly about the wand shop, nearly setting many things on fire. The Woods had to duck as several flew at them, as did Absalom. He finally shrieked causing the startled girl to drop the wand and gasp loudly. She stepped back and continued to breathe deeply. She eventually tried to apologize, but he shook his head and said something long the lines of 'that was excellent- the wand is yours.' As he would not take the sickles she handed him, she dropped them on his desk on her way out. A tall, slender figure cloaked and hooded in cobalt blue who Ash hadn't noticed till then put an arm around the girl said something kind as they left.

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

Ash and Nel were ecstatic as they exited the wand shop, haphazardly waving their wands about in various directions, shooting streams of earthen green from Nel's 12 inch Ash with a dragon heartstring core, and streams of aquatic blue from Ashton's new wand. His wand also perplexed the wand maker.

It was in his words, 'not your typical wand-wood and core.' It was an 9 inch wand made from a piece of particularly smooth driftwood he came across while on holiday in Greece. As he stepped into the ocean to retrieve it, he felt something fury touch his feet. He eventually identified it as a blue Hippocampus foal- a magical hybrid of horse and fish. He was unfortunately forced to retreat to land as he saw the giant indigo fish-tail of a protective mare come into his sight. He had once heard that the fin-like mane hair on the equine head and forequarters and along the spinal ridge of the fish hindquarters could be successfully used as the core of a wand. They were somewhat like unicorn hairs, being collected from a mystical horse-like beast. Although the foal and mare had departed back into the depths of the Mediterranean, he found that some dark blue hairs of the foal had collected in the boots he had been wearing, and so he used a strand with the piece of driftwood (which he identified as being ash) to create Ashton's one-of-a-kind wand.

Ashton looked down at his thick wand and admired it as he stepped into Kings Cross Station, but then swiftly hid it back in his pocket as passersby stared. He could tell it was indeed driftwood, as it felt so extraordinarily smooth and light in his hand with its simple design- much unlike Nel's intricately carven thin and whippy wand of high density and glossy texture. Both were grand works of art.

"Ashton… _Ashton!_" cried Mrs. Wood. "Ashton, we don't have time for this!"

Ashton woke from his trance and saw her pointing at a clock in the distance. 10:57. The portal into platform Nine and Three Quarters would close in less than three minutes.

"We have to hurry or we'll miss it," said Ash suddenly realizing what was happening.

"Then go, son!" urged Jes, patting Ashton's shoulder and pointing at the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

Ashton gasped and felt as if his heart stopped beating.

'_This is it_' he thought to himself, breathing deeply. '_You can do this._'

He felt something warm wrap around his left hand and looked to see Nel giving him a nervous smile. They both nodded to each other and set their gazed forward. One deep breath and they set off walking at a brisk pace. Faster and faster they went, each closing their eyes tightly as they came ever-nearer to their destination.

Both were expecting to feel something as they passed through, and thus they didn't stop when they didn't feel anything… Until-

"Hey! Watch it, will ya?" said a young boy at the two first-years who had just fallen to the floor after practically running in to him.

"S-sorry," said Nel rubbing her hip.

"Aw, it's ok," the boy said, suddenly losing the powerful edge to his voice.

He reached two hands down to them and pulled each up surprisingly swiftly with little effort. When Nel and Ash were back on their feet, they met a great surprise. When they looked straight ahead, they did not see the face of their assister, they saw they open air above his head. They looked down to see bright red-orange hair just below their chins, and both Ash and Nella were a bit short for their ages. This boy must have been about four feet tall, probably less.

Suddenly they heard the train horn toot and a conductor yell "All aboard?" causing all three looked to its source and behold the shining scarlet wonder that was the Hogwarts Express. Ash and Nel looked at it with great curiosity, but were unable to bask in its glory for long as their parents arrived pushed them towards the train, hugging and kissing them in rid run. The eldest Wood children bid farewell to their family and wished their little sisters a very happy birthday, and took the luggage their parents handed them while the wheels screeched as they began to propel the train forward faster and fast. The train was gaining speed by the time the little redhead politely declined Mr. Woods' offer of lifting the boy onto the train, instead deciding to run with the train and leap (at least his own height) aboard, just before the front of the train disappeared into a stone tunnel. He landed lightly on the carpeted floor just in front of where Ash was standing, much to his and Nel's amazement. The two siblings then looked out of the train to see their parents and the twins drifting further and further away. They waved their final goodbyes. The boy was waving to, but Ash couldn't see anyone other than his parents and siblings. Nowadays, parents were supposed to clear the area once their kids boarded the trains to make way for late students.

"Who are you waving to?" asked Ashton.

"My Great Aunt Iris," he said. When he noticed Ashton's confusion he added. "She's right behind your parents."

'_That's funny,_' Ash thought. '_I don't see anyone._'

"We O'Reillys are easily hidden in crowds… Well- what are ya waitin for?" said the boy in the same bubbly Irish accent he had spoken in before.

The Woods looked at him, perplexed.

"We've got ta find a seat, now, don't we?" her said grinning. "That'un over there looks empty." He pointed a small finger to a nearby compartment down the hall.

Ash smiled at the friendly boy and followed him and Nel to the available compartment. But, when they got there, it was not completely empty. The very same white-blonde-haired girl Ash had seen in Ollivander's was sitting close to the window with her legs crossed. She was reading a rather large novel, consumed in its contents, with her slender pinkish wand tucked behind a small ear. Although Ash viewed her from a rather unflattering angle, her beauty was not lessened.

"Would you mind if we sat here?" asked the red-haired boy as he slid open the glass door.

At first the girl looked mortified (but still pretty), but was reassured by the redhead boy's crinkly-eyed smile. She nodded silently and turned back to her book, as if trying to hide her face. The three people at the door then entered the room. Ash and Nel took their seats across from the girl, Nel at the window, and the redhead sat next to the girl.

The boy across from Ash looked to him and said, "I don't believe we've properly met." He grinned and extended his hand, grinning. "Gobán O'Reilly."

"Ashton Wood," he said taking Gobán's hand and shaking it.

"I'm Nella," she added when Gobán looked to her.

All three of the formally introduced then looked expectantly to the bespectacled girl hiding in the corner. She glanced upward for a moment but then looked back down to her book when she noticed where everyone was staring. A warm pink was already present in her thin cheeks, so when she blushed it became a rich crimson. But even this could not take anything away from her spectacular appearance. The three other occupants subsequently looked away and occupied themselves with the appearance of random points about the compartment. Ash's eyes eventually fell upon the belle's rosy cheek as it rested upon a fair hand. He then looked to the pale blue eye not hidden from his view, only to see it gazing back at his bright one. At this, Ash quickly looked away and felt his face grow hot.

"Clara," she whispered.

Ash nodded while shifting in his seat uncomfortably and looked to the face of Gobán in an attempt to make it seem like he was just the type of person who liked to look at others. This was the first time Ash got a really good look at the boy. There was something peculiar about his appearance as well. His hair was curly, and cut the way most curly-haired people cut it, and it was an astonishingly bright red. Not a Weasley red- it was a bit more vivid (if possible), and had a bit more of an orange hew. There was also something strange about the freckles dabbled over his pointed nose and pasty cheeks of Irish complexion. They seemed to be a bit greenish if Ash's eyes weren't failing him. Ash had never seen something like this before. And his ears-

"Oy! Ashton, is that your pet?" he said pointing to the window. Aquila was flying rapidly alongside the train carrying her nest, and began tapping on the window.

Clara's eyes lit up and she slid the window open to allow the bird to enter their compartment. She stroked the eagle owl and smiled without showing teeth. But then, she stared concernedly at the owl's rather limp and crooked wing. Aquila then flew awkwardly over to Ash and Nella. There was clearly something wrong with her left wing. Attached to her shaking leg was a note rolled up and tied with black ribbon. On the visible portion of the rolled parchment, the word 'URGENT' was scrawled in blood-red ink. Neither Ash nor Nella had ever seen this handwriting, and judging by the pitiful state of an injured Aquila, this letter was forcibly sent.


	3. Chapter 3

--CHAPTER THREE--

"What does it say? What does it say," exclaimed Gobán.

Clara disregarded the letter and seized the wounded owl once Ash gingerly removed. Nel put her chin on her brother's shoulder and read it with him.

_MUDBLOODS AND MULES BEWARE_

The ink was a dripping, chilling black and the penmanship was as sinister as its blood-like label.

"Well?" asked Gobán impatiently.

Words failed both Ash and Nel, and so Ash handed it to the little red-head to avoid profanity. Gobán only raised his eye brow at the message once he read its contents, and handed it to a secretly eager Clara. She looked thoroughly terrified when she finished. She seemed to know something more than her fellow first years. She tried to hide her emotions as she handed it bake to Nella and continued her nursing of Aquila.

"What… What does that mean?" asked Nel, confused. "Well I know the first one but… I thought mules were a cross between horses and donkeys. Those animals muggles use to transport some things."

"I thought so too," agreed Gobán.

"But what does that have to do with… Muggles-born and half-bloods?" Ashton mused aloud.

"I don't know," answered Gobán. "Do you Clara?"

She shook her head.

"Oh well," sighed Gobán. "Just an empty threat, probably. Nothing could happen to us within the security Hogwarts."

The other three nodded in agreement. Ash suddenly noticed that Aquila was fully recovered, and nestled comfortably in her nest on Clara's lap. She continued to stroke the owl as Ash stared at her in surprise.

She looked back down at the owl and explained, "My dad's a Healer at St. Mungos, and my grandmum works at Eeylops Owl Emporium."

"My mum's a healer, too!" said Ash. "Part-time, now. She used to work on a ship, though, as a mediwitch healing victims of shipwrecks and stuff."

Clara smiled and nodded.

"My dad works in the Department for the Regulation and control for Magical Creatures," added Gobán, trying to elaborate the feeble attempt at discourse, despite the somewhat petty and boastful topic.

"Our dad used to work in that Department," began Nella. "He was stationed in the forests of Greece."

"Yeah, the creatures there apparently don't avoid muggles like most do in other places," informed Gobán. "Me dad is stationed in Ireland, near our home. Me mum works near at the restaurant attached to our house. My grandparents used to own it though, so it's still called Finnegan's Irish Cuisine."

And so began the lightening of the atmosphere within that Express compartment.

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

In what seemed no time, the students were advised to change into their robes and so they did. Gobán and Ash were the first to return, but each waited patiently for the girls.

They came in giggling, Nella much more than the timid Clara. Each was clad in the standard black robes worn also by the two boys and all other students. Nella had tied her hair into a thick pony-tail using a light orchid-colored hair-band, with one of the abnormally short and curly groupings of her hair pulled back and the other left artfully dangling. Clara's shining hair, however, remained in precisely the same bun as before.

Ash's excitement was reborn tenfold as he felt the train slowly decrease in speed while Nel and Clara retook their seats. He was now within the vicinity of a place he had only been dreaming about for the prior decade. The wall surrounding Hogwarts Castle was now in sight, yet it seemed so distant and too dreamlike to be real.

Nervous thoughts began to overwhelm him. Would he be sorted into Gryffindor, or into an undesirable house? Would he fit in with the other first years, or forever be an outcast? Would his intelligence measure up to average, or would he seem ignorant of the Wizarding world despite being born into it?

He hadn't time to recollect himself as the train came to a screeching halt which seemed to send his stomach plummeting downward. He mustered up about as much courage as he could and exited the compartment with his sister and two new friends.

Ash could barely breathe within the mass concourse of students plowing through the narrow hallways. The elder students towered drastically over his slight figure. He felt Nella's hand in his once more, and stuck by her side the best he could. Before he knew it, they were outside the train, squeezed into a tiny, poorly lit mosh-pit of a platform. Surprised by the unexpected change in surroundings, Ash momentarily stopped moving, only to find himself shoved forward by chatting returners and silent first-years. Ash had no idea were he was going, but Nella seemed to. He just moved in whatever direction she pulled. Suddenly, a booming voice rang over the heads of the crowd of teenagers.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Firs' years

Ash shivered in the cold of the night and looked up to see a bright lantern bobbing up and down slightly as its warmly grinning gigantic holder approached. There stood an old man almost twice as tall as Ash's father, he thought. Straggly snow white hair created a massive curled mane and wild tangled beard, somehow shining in the lantern light. This hair and his mild wrinkles, however, could not hide two tiny dark eyes twinkling from their beetle shaped sockets. Add a red suit, flying reindeer and a pointed hat, and you've got Santa Clause. This, Ash decided, must be Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper of Hogwarts, Head of the Gryffindor House, and Professor of Care for Magical Creatures; a man his mother positively adored as a friend and role model. He was supposed to say hello for her eventually. Now was most definitely not the time.

As he and his sister walked towards the beaming face of Hagrid, both began to feel droplets of rain hit the parts of them not hidden by the fast moving crowd. This turned to a blatantly noticeable drizzle by the time about a hundred eager eleven-year-olds were gathered around the cheery man at the beginning of a steep narrow path.

"C'mon, follow me- Any more firs' years? Watch yerself, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Haphazardly the group trudged behind the giant unable to see anything but the person in front of them in the utter darkness and increasing rainfall. It was a down pour by the time Hagrid informed them that they would soon be getting their first view of the castle.

Through the heavy rainfall he could see the beauty of Hogwart's elaborate system of turrets, bridges, towers, and pathways dotted with thin windows of golden light, which decorated the lush fields and rocky out crop on which the 

castle was constructed. It was quite a sight against the starry sky, its reflection distorted in the unsteady lake as it shimmered in the moonlight due to thousands of rain drops beating the usually glassy surface..

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid boomed merrily through the downpour while pointing to the three dozen boats at the rocky shore.

Nel and Ash slipped on the wet rock into a nearby boat, and Clara and Gobán stepped in behind them. Ash was surprised that the two had stayed so close, and on their feet for that matter.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid bellowed against the chaotic roar of water upon water from his own personal boat. "Right then- FORWARD!"

The little boats zoomed across the lake, and the wind picked up in the rainstorm, causing many students to be blown towards the edges of their boats. Poor Gobán looked as though he was about to blow away as he dug his little fingers onto the side of the boat. Ash was entranced by the ever-changing lake as hundreds of little splashes made it look as if it were vibrant. Then suddenly Ash heard Gobán let out a small scream as the boy began to be lifted into the water-saturated air. Ash quickly stood and pulled his friend back to the seat. This saved Gobán, but Ash unfortunately lost his balance on the water filled boat and was blown over the low edge.

"Ash!" cried Nella as her wet hand slipped from his and she failed to seize his robes.

The Heavy rain pushed Ash downwards, and banged his head upon the nearest hardwood boat. With a loud 'SPLASH,' Ash hit the water and plunged into its depth. Silence met his waiting ears as he sank.

'Shouldn't I be floating?' he wondered as the rain above had lost all sound to him, and its torrential power pushed him downward nonetheless.

He opened his eyes into darkness for a moment but they shut themselves as a sharp pain met the sides of his neck. He tried to scream but all that came out of his mouth were the bubbles of his only remaining air. He put his hands to his stinging neck as though three cuts had been delivered to each side, and felt two grooved swellings. He felt his lungs collapse and struggled for the surface. He didn't understand what was happening as he flailed his body about and didn't move anywhere but down as bubbles trickled from his gaping mouth. As he writhed, he felt cool water flow into the slits at the sides of his neck and realized he was drowning. He covered the swellings and tried one last time to move to the surface. Some odd membrane seemed to be enveloping his hands and feet. Surprisingly a few weak kicks sent him swiftly upwards. A few more and he reached a giant hand just below the water's surface. The hand grabbed him gruffly by the color of his robes and pulled him out of the icy water. The last thing Ash saw before coughing up a great deal of water and fainting unconscious into humungous arms was the glinting beetle-eyes of his savior, who would have jumped into the water after him if Ash stayed under any longer.

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

The lights were painfully bright and strange people stood above him. He had no idea what was going on. He just needed…. water. That's what he wanted. If only he could say so. The problem was he didn't know _how_ to.

"He needs water," came a familiar feminine voice.

And then it simply all came back to Ash- his identity, his family, his beloved sister Nella, and his entire memory. It took a few seconds for him to remember his position at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but he was able to recall his eagerness and anxiety. The only thing he could figure out was where he was _exactly_.

"What makes you think that, Miss Wood," a caring voice asked warmly.

"I don't know, it's just something he always needs- it's some sickness or something," Nella sputtered.

"If you say so, deary," said the owner of the voice, and he heard what sounded like the clicking of high-heels against the floor or the beating of horse hoofs against pavement.

The blinding light above him was generously blocked by a female figure and Ash felt water begin to trickle down his throat. With a sudden burst of energy, Ash opened his eyes to see water flowing into his mouth from the wand of a fair, aged hand. He attempted to sit up as the water ceased to flow and his sister gasped, but was gently pushed back down. Ash looked up to see that the pusher had been a middle-aged woman standing over him with long golden hair falling freely to her waste. Her slanted dark blue eyes were heavily surrounded with long, dark eye-lashes, and her lips were a soft shade of scarlet. A light-blue sari was draped over the back of her head and brought over her left shoulder to be 

pulled across her thin torso around her right hip and tied about the waist with the remainder of the cloth left hanging behind her like the back of a dress, and a matching tear-drop sapphire was stuck to the middle of her forehead. She wore dress-like hospital robes of stunning white.

"Who are you?"asked Ash weakly.

"Shhh. I'm Madame Leucippe Gauri Florentine Jordan, the School's matron," she said gently. "This is the hospital wing."

Ash looked around and suddenly thought of the sorting.

"What about-?" he began.

"Professor Hagrid was at the shore of the Black Lake about five minutes ago. I assume they have just entered the castle. They won't begin the sorting ceremony unless I send Professor Hagrid a signal."

"O-oh," said Ash. "Well I'm ready."

He thrust the sheets to the side to free the rest of his body and see its new state of dryness. Madam Jordan sighed and nodded.

"I'll carry you on my back to the main entrance," the nurse said casually.

Ash was at first confused but then notice the strangeness of her lower body. It was as if she had an additional pair of legs a few feet behind her first pair. Ash thought she must have been a centaur, or a least part centaur, for she had included a middle-name, maiden name, and surname in her introduction. He read somewhere that centaurs generally only had first names. As he rolled onto the back of the equine potion of her body, he noticed a golden tail. Nella trailed behind them as Ash clung to the translucent sari rather than the waist of his now walking nurse. The nurse decided to walk out into the courtyard and walk to the stone steps of the Main Entrance. The rain had cleared. When they walked up the steps to the great oak doors, Madam Jordan had to lift her robes a bit so as not to trip, revealing human legs ending in what looked like hoof-like feet in white boots which stopped just above the ankles. She pushed the doors open into an enormous high-ceilinged Entrance Hall which could easily hold the Wood household and more, and curved past a marble staircase leading to upper floors, and stopped at another wooden door, left slightly ajar.

"This is your stop," the half-centaur whispered, and helped Ash to the ground.

Nella took his hand and reached for the door handle, as Madam Jordan quietly clicked and clacked away. Nel slowly opened the door just enough to allow her and her brother to squeeze through. They wanted to be relatively unnoticed. Luckily, everyone's attention was fixed upon a tall elderly woman when the two entered the room filled with more than one hundred students.

Unfortunately the woman saw them.

"Ah, hello Mr. and Miss Wood," the woman said. "Professor Hagrid said you might be late arrivals."

About one hundred pairs of wide eyes turned to stare into those of Ash and Nella Wood. Blushing in the eyesight of the entire first year student body, the two siblings sheepishly darted into the crowd next to Gobán and Clara as whispers erupted between the children.

"I am Professor McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you two," she said smiling kindly at the new arrivals. "Anyway, the sorting ceremony will begin momentarily in front of the rest of the school. Some of you might want to smarten yourselves up while you are waiting."

'_Could this really be Professor McGonagall?_' Ash asked himself.

His Grandpa George had always told him that McGonagall was a stiff, stern woman who never smiled or let her pin-strait black hair down. This woman looked gentle, and her silvery white hair hung freely past her hips. But, Ash knew this to be her, for her cat-like dark, yet bright emerald eyes behind square-framed glasses fit his family's descriptions perfectly. She was a woman they all respected very much. Maybe she had finally learned to let her hair down and smell the roses more often. She must have been at least ten years over a hundred years old after all, even if she was still relatively fit. She turned and allowed her red velvet dress robes to trail behind her.

Though the whispers had, for the most part, faded away, Ash could not help but feel many eyes boring into his back. He was merely the latest news to all of them, rather than the young boy striving to more or less blend in (in terms of 

his exterior, for he preserved his eccentricities within him.) He felt himself shrink at the spot, cowering as so many people documented his every move. One boy was bold enough to move right in front of Ash and stare at him. Ash refused to look into this student's face.

Fortunately, Professor McGonagall summoned them shortly thereafter. "We're ready for you. Follow me- single file- and line up, a few feet in front of the raised platform on which is a stool, in front facing the four tables."

Ash, Nelly, Clara, Gobán, the curious student, and the many others followed the Headmistress back into the Entrance Hall. From there she led them across the hall and through another set of large wooden doors. Ash and his sister were forced to separate hands, but Ash remained right behind her with Gobán behind him and Clara in front of the three.

A fantastic scene bursted into Ashton's blue eyes as the doors opened to reveal a vast room filled with a mixture of students, teachers, tables, and magic in the form of many floating candles which created a warm and bright golden glow all throughout the high-ceilinged roomed hall. Actually, Ash did not even see a ceiling. Instead a midnight blue sky set agleam with many glittering stars seemed to be what the room opened up into. The first-years followed the headmistress to the platform she described as the roar of laughter and conversation of over half a thousand students reduced as every eye turned to the newcomers. Ash felt as if on display. He always felt awkward in such public situations. His front was eventually turned away from the crowd and toward the stool and his headmistress next to it, but he knew many eyes were fixed upon him. But the warmth of his sister's hand was very comforting.

Ash was once again in a nervous haze as McGonagall read the names from a rather lengthy roll of parchment after briefly telling the students what they must do. He didn't even notice the conjuring of that old patched up talking hat, or the song it sang. He really only stirred thrice. The first was when Nella nudged him once McGonagall called "Scamander, Clarabel," and Clara broke from the line to be sorted into the house of mighty Gryffindor, according to the wizened hat after a full minute of sitting on the pretty girl's head. The second was when "O'Reilly, Gobán" was summoned and moved away from Ash's side. He was then permitted to join Clara as the hat cried "Gryffindor!" less than a second after it touched Gobán's head. The third time was the most significant.

"Wood, Ashton!" McGonagall called.

Ash barely noticed it. It was Nella's whispering in his ear, and her light push that made him walk up to the stool and allow the hat to fall over his face clumsily as he sat down upon it. A voice suddenly spoke inside his head, and he nearly jumped were he sat.

"Hmmm… what do we have here?" the hat spoke to his psyche.

It read all the nervous thoughts within Ash's head.

"Though you carry so many insecurities, there is a great deal of bravery bursting at your seams. And yet too little arrogance to place you in Gryffindor, as they often contain a greater amount of self-confidence than people such as yourself."

The hat seemed to disregard Ash's preference for Gryffindor.

"Your intelligence seems to be equal to that which would make one a suitable Ravenclaw. The grace of your heritage would also make you a successful member of the lovely Rowena's House."

Ash was about to protest, but this arrangement somehow seemed right to him. He had always saw himself as a Gryffindor like his entire family, but Ravenclaw seemed to suit him now that he came to think of it. He didn't get to ask the sorting hat what it meant by the 'grace of his heritage,' as the hat took advantage of Ash's current agreeance, and bellowed:

"Ravenclaw!"

Numb and disconnected, Ash stumbled across the hall to the junior end of Ravenclaw table. He barely noticed the great deal of attention he was attracting and merely fell into a seat next to another first year, ignoring the applause and allowing hands to clap his back as Professor McGonagall moved on to his sister.

"Ravenclaw!" the hat yelled across the room a little while after the hat was placed on Nella's head.

Ash sighed in relief and was able to relax and come back into focus when his sister was permitted to join him. The sorting ceremony was fairly enjoyable once Nella sat on other side of him, even if his two newest friends were at a different table. He knew they would still be great friends.


	4. Chapter 4

--CHAPTER FOUR--

"Welcome! Welcome to yet another year at this marvelous school. I would like too make a few brief announcements before we go to dormitories," said Professor McGonagall, after the extensive feast had ended. "And a rather lengthy one."

The full, exhausted students groaned but became silent at once out of respect, as McGonagall raised her hand and smiled apologetically.

"As most of you know, the Forbidden Forest is… well 'forbidden,' to _all_ students" She continued as several students chuckled. "And Mr. Filch insists that you all do your best to keep the castle clean, and I'm sure you all shall oblige. He also wishes me to remind you that no magic should be used in corridors between classes." She paused and looked sternly at her pupils, but then restored a kind smile to her face. "Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of this term. If anyone is interested in playing for there house team, they should contact Madam Hooch. And, last but far from least, we will be having a rather large amount of guests this year." The students, including Ash, seemed confused.

"You see, there had been an… incident at Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic in Southern France. The Palace has been… rendered useless, and students need a safer place to stay. The officials at Durmstrang are much to proud and xenophobic to admit mixed-blood French students into there school, and so we will take them into our castle. They should be arriving tomorr- Oh my!"

A cloud of silvery mist shot right through the right window of the wall opposite the staff table and galloped in between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff 

tables towards the staff table. Though it was moving at such a rapid, blurring pace, Ash could clearly see it was a silvery-white giraffe half gliding, half prancing towards McGonagall. It slowed gracefully to halt and in an echoing feminine whisper said something in a strong French accent.

McGonagall's eyes widened and she thrust her wand out of her robes. She screamed two spells consequently and two things happened at once. The windowed wall opposite the staff table seemed to melt into the ground and disappear. Ash saw that his table and the Hufflepuff table rapidly spread apart as the floor between them broadened, but he didn't feel a thing. It was as if McGonagall stretched the room rather than separated the tables.

"DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SEATS!" McGonagall bellowed, thoroughly flabbergasted.

Ash looked outside the castle and saw something strange come into view. By the time he noticed what it was, it zoomed swiftly onto the grounds of Hogwarts, and sped upon ground to the Great Hall, trying to lose speed. The elaborate powder blue horse-drawn carriage the size of Ash's house skidded to an uneasy halt dangerously close to the staff table were each teacher stood, wands aloft- they clearly contribute to the stop of the ornate, carriage. These dozen horses were very irregular, being gigantic palominos with enormous feathery white wings. Ashton new these beautiful creatures to be 'Abraxans.' The students were fascinated

The small bearded coachman hopped down from his perch, releasing the reins to allow his horses to relax and stretch, and hopped to a large, round door. He straitened his back and opened this door professionally.

An enormous woman stumbled out of the carriage but immediately rediscovered her composure and stood proudly to how her true height. She was almost as tall as Hagrid, and an elderly lady with wispy white hair bobbed short and precise, curling inward were it ended at the level of her jaws. She looked to be as thin and fit as her powerful build would permit, but she was still very wide-framed with enormous hips. She enhanced her elderly beauty with dress-robes of fine silk, with priceless jewels embroidering her neck, ears, hands and arms as necklaces, bracelets, two large earrings and an enormous wedding band.

She walked swiftly to McGonagall crying, "Minerva! Oh Minerva, I ahm so, so sorry! I couldn't- I didn't expect- we had to- I couldn't- I should've- I'm so, so sorry! Thank you so, so much! Oi vei!"

"It's ok, Olympe. There was no other way," Minerva McGonagall consoled.

"Olympe!" cried Hagrid. He gracefully leapt over the table despite his age (although he did knock over a few things) and ran to Olympe.

"Oh 'Agrid!" she said.

A boy's voice came from within the carriage. "Madame? Madame 'Agrid? Is it safe? Are we 'ere?"

"Yes, my children," Olympe replied, "You may come out, we are safe within 'Ogwarts."

Professor McGonagall waved her wand and the wall rose from the ground and returned to its rightful position. The carriage doors burst open and slowly over half a thousand students clad in powder blue silk stepped from the carriage and crowded between tables. Once all the Beauxbaton's students and staff were situated in standing position, Professor McGonagall caught everyone's attention.

"Tomorrow there will be no classes. We will be sorting all of the Beauxbaton's students into our four Houses, supervised by the Beauxbaton's staff and myself as the rest of Hogwart's professors and Mr. Filch enlarge classrooms, Halls, corridors, and dormitories. Each Hogwarts student will be paired with a Beauxbaton's student of the same house, year and gender, and will be responsible for 'showing them the ropes of our school,' if you will. We encourage each of you to get to know your partner by the end of tomorrow. If the students of Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic would kindly make way for my pupils, I will wait for them to exit the Hall and we will discuss were you will be sleeping. My first years, follow your seventh year prefects. Fifth year and sixth year prefects should stay, and when the first years are situated, the seventh year prefects should report to this Hall. Oh, and Welcome students and staff of Beauxbatons Academy. Thank you."

A tall curly-haired brunette beckoned the Ravenclaw first years to follow, and so they did, squeezing between the new students as other Hogwarts students did the same. It was quite chaotic, actually.

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

"So tell me, what am I?" the brass doorknocker concluded.

Ash paused in thought. He and several other first years were standing in middle of Ravenclaw Tower, trying to gain entrance into their common room.

'_Hmm…" _he mused. He then repeated the riddle in his head,

"_I can mend what a shear makes wry,_

_When you guide some through my eye,_

_But if turned I can incise,_

_So tell me, what am I?"_

They were all lined up, and it was now Ash's turn. The elder students, except for their seventh year prefect, Penelope Entwhistle, had entered the common room already. You needed to solve a logical riddle correctly to gain admittance. The first-years had watched them as they went in groups, able to exchange ideas if necessary, and solve the riddles at ease. But now, by order of the head of the house, Professor Clearwater, and the enforcement of Prefect Entwhistle, the first-years were to get into the common room one by one. Each student was allowed one guess at the riddle they were to solve. If they were incorrect, they would have to proceed to the end of the line and wait for their next turn, allowing the next person to try to solve the very same riddle. Normally, students are allowed several guesses, but the first years needed practice. Unfortunately, because the first years were new to this, and each was allowed one and only one guess, only one had made it into the room so far- after four consecutive students failed at the same riddle. Ash was the unlucky sixth student. He received a brand new riddle.

Luckily Ash thought of an answer fairly quickly, though he worked it out in his head to make sure he did not waste his only chance.

"_A sewing needle!_" he thought. "_I can mend what a sheer makes wry… A needle can sew up fabric which is cut… when you lead the fabric- the thread- through the eye of the needle. But on the other end, it's pointed…"_

"A sewing needle," Ash said.

"Very good," said the eagle-shaped knocker. It opened the door and continued, "A worthy Ravenclaw indeed."

The other first-years were fairly impressed, and congratulated him. Ash merely blushed and smiled back at Nella. She was next. Gingerly, he stepped into the common room and left the door close behind him. Very few people lingered in the common room on the first day, so his attention was drawn completely to the room itself. It was absolutely beautiful, circular with blue and bronze silk wall hangings and a midnight blue star-dazzled floor upon which were many light blue chairs and wooden book cases. The true marvel, however, was the ornate ceiling above. It was made to look as if it were a midnight sky, with shimmering constellations plainly visible. He was gazing at a life-size marble statue of a crowned woman when he heard the door open behind him. Nella walked in beaming and looked around the room curiously after walking to Ash.

"What was your riddle?" Ash asked.

"Touching one, holding two,

This single-linked chain,

Binding those true to their word,

Till death doth make them twain," She answered poetically.

Ash paused. "A wedding ring?"

"Yes," Nella replied. "Where is that other boy who made it in?"

"Right here," said a rather burly older student. He was clearly not the first year in question but one of his large paws was placed upon a small boys shoulder. This must be he.

The older student then said, "I am the other seventh year prefect, Maël Delaselva. I am also the Captain and a Beater of our quidditch team. Once everyone is inside, I shall take the boys up to their rooms, and Penelope will take the girls to theirs. You are to wait with me until everyone arrives."

Maël had an extremely robust figure with a very long and powerful torso, and a very tan complexion. His sleeves were rolled up just above his elbows to expose thick, powerful forearms covered in thick golden-brown hair. The sleeves were very tight around his biceps- not because the sleeves were small, but because his muscles were so enormous. The robes were also tight around his chest. His hair was long for guy, and was left hanging in a menacing mane. The most formidable aspects of his appearance were his eyes. They were deep brown and somewhat feline, each dark and threatening. He also had a well-shaven beard and mustache. He looked extremely intimidating, and as if he belonged on all fours. Ash made note to himself not to get on Maël's bad side, but allowed himself to follow Nella towards him.

The next to enter was the girl who sat next to Ash during the feast. Within the next five or ten minutes, the remaining six trickled in and Penelope went down another corridor, away from the common room.

"Follow me," Maël grunted.

The first years followed their prefect through a door next to the marble statue and up a flight of navy blue stairs. At the first landing, however, they paused and Maël explained that the girls dorms were the highest room up the staircase to the left, and the boys were the highest up the staircase to their left. He then asked if there were any questions and when there weren't, he turned and went back down the stairs to join Penelope at the Great Hall. Ash said good night to his sister and smiled to the other girls, and followed the boys up many flights of stairs. They were panting by the time they reached their room, and understood why it was the first years who got the highest room in the entire castle.

The boys didn't bother each other and just decided to change silently as they noticed that their luggage appeared in their room. He barely even noticed his surroundings, and merely fell into the comfiest bed he ever fell into and drew the silky blue curtains of his four-poster bed; falling into the deepest sleep he had ever fallen into.s

--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

Unfortunately, this sleep was cut short as he was suddenly was struck with midnight insomnia. He woke with a start, frightened that he was not in his own bed at home. He often suffered momentary amnesia when waking up, but soon remembered that he was finally at Hogwarts causing happiness to swell within him. He was finally there!

But then thoughts began to overwhelm him as he thought about the previous day's events for the first time. He was a Ravenclaw. What would his parents think; his entire family was made up of lion-hearted Gryffindors!

There was also the letter. He would need to ask his parents what that meant. He didn't know if he should be concerned. He didn't need to be concerned for himself- he was of wizard descent- but what about the other students? If the writer of the letter was a witch or wizard of action, and not just of words and empty threats, surely Ash should terrified for the innocent students of mixed-blood. His parents would want to hear about this, but Ash wasn't sure whether he wanted to tell them or not. His mother had the potential to be occasionally overbearing.

This aspect of his mother was always prominent during his childhood. Though she always let her children experiment certain actions and explore their yard and the beach. She let them do anything really, and assumed they would learn whatever they needed to by trial and error. She knew they would not do anything extremely dangerous, and if they did something mildly dangerous and hurt themselves, they would cease to do it, and go strait to their mother to be healed. This allowed Nella and Ashton to develop complex and interesting personalities.

The two rules Roxanne always enforced, however were that the forest was strictly forbidden, and the ocean was as well. Ash didn't have much trouble with keeping out of the forest, like Nella did, and his mother actually took him in there once to gather firewood. He was sworn not to tell his sister. Ash's problem was with keeping out of the ocean. He wanted to plunge into that endless blue so badly at times, he nearly did. Luckily, Nel was able to convince him to hold back every time. Ash would have to spend his time on the beach, as it was as close to the ocean he could get. He loved to breath in the bracing sea air, but its briny content seemed to sting Ash's 'gill' scars. Even so, the beach was his favorite place to be.

Although he was forced to keep out of the powerful Ocean, Ash did know how to swim- and very well. He had a pool, but as it was chlorinated, steady, and unnatural, it did not even come close to measuring up to the nearby seas. He would resort to pretending to be a fish in the ocean, swimming swiftly through the pool and enacting the adventures he thought a fish might have in such an awesome environment.

Ash thought about the lake. The experience was terrifying and traumatic and yet he remembered it so clearly, maybe even fondly. He had never been in a natural body of water before, and now that he was out of the lake, all he wanted 

was to be back in it. Something about being at the mercy of water seemed so right to Ash. He felt like he belonged in a lake like this one, something he didn't always feel on land.

But then Ash thought of the dramatic arrival of the members of Beauxbaton's Academy. He wondered why they had to enter the castle so abruptly and unannounced. What was it that was questioning their safety?

He had also never seen an Abraxan in real life before, and magical creatures always fascinated him. What muggles know as animals also fascinated Ash. Especially fish, and because of this, he had an aquarium in his very room at home; a large fish-tank that covered three of his four walls. The tank was teaming with all sorts of exotic fish, snails, clams, starfish, and crustaceans. The marine life could have easily fit in a much smaller tank, but Ash wanted them to be as free and oceanic as possible. He had his mother charm the tank so that there was even more room in the tanks, even though the space did not permit it, and so that it looked like it extended into the ocean beyond. It was also charmed to be connected to the other fish tank they owned. This one was even bigger, and charmed in the same way, lining the below ground walls of the pool and the floor. This aided Ash's pretending in the pool, for if he looked anywhere from underwater, he would see many fish and aquatic plants, and the image of an underwater ocean beyond. He could see his room through the glass sometimes. The tanks also connected to one more tank: one which opened into both his parents room, and the twin's room. This was also charmed to look it extended into the ocean on the twins' side in the parents' room, and on the parents' side in the twins' room to preserve privacy. This charm was, however, occasionally lifted, so Mr. and Mrs. Wood could see that their daughters had fallen asleep. The fish tanks opened up into a pond beside the pool. Ash would dump various marine foods into this pond and they would magically disperse to each of his pets.

Nella was not shafted however, and she kept a greenhouse with her dad, and although it was a small glass greenhouse on the exterior outside her house, she could see its magically enormous interior through the glass walls in her room and enter it through a door there, due to a charm. It also contained many exotic plants, and several species of butterfly. This greenhouse also opened into the twin's room and the parents' room. It was the closest thing to a forest that Nella could experience.

Ash then realized how much he missed the beach, and the pool, his home his bed, and most of all his family. He missed his mother, his father, his littlest sisters and their sporadic bickering. He missed everything that he had once taken for granted. His missed Peanut and her forked tale, and Rosco, his kneazle-cat cross, and his large ears and mildly spotted fur.

He noticed where the window was in the pitch darkness after he withdrew the curtains on his bed and saw matching curtains dimming a moonlight glow across the room. He stepped out of his bed and walked across the cold floor barefoot to the window and withdrew the blue window curtains. A spectacular view met his eyes and he couldn't breathe for several moments. He quickly unlatched the window and thrust his head out side and choked as his breath was knocked out of him once more as he beheld an amazing view of majestic mountains towering into the dark star-filled heavens lit up slightly by a bright, nearly full moon. As air was restored to his lungs, he looked to his left to see the lake which almost took his life. It looked so placid now that the rain was gone; it was perfectly still and glassy. He had a strange desire to disrupt this calmness and create a ripple by falling into its depths. But then, Ash thought he saw another figure leaning out of a window to his right. He could swear that it was his older sister, but before he could be sure-

"What are you doing?" said a dark haired boy behind him, holding his curtain aside while still in bed.

Ash took one last look at the lake and the girl and shut the window, closing the curtains over.

"Nothing," Ash mumbled as he trudged back to his bed and jumped back into it.

He pulled the blankets over him and drew his curtains once more as the dark-haired boy did the same, and soon both had returned to the same deep sleep; dark and dreamless.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N…… Sorry it took so long to post this, it's relatively long. The computer screen was really hurting my eyes. I had to boycott all electronics for about a week. It wasn't that difficult as I don't use the computer much, despise video games, and avoid television on a regular basis, but I unfortunately couldn't type this chapter. Also my _only reviewer_ has kindly asked me to review which Wood sibling is older. And as this author is my _only reviewer_ coughREAD AND REVIEW OR I KEEL YOU Dcough I shall indeed review who is older. Ash is older than Nella. Oh, and I have been dropping hints of what the common secret is, and in many places. You might want to look into the meanings of the character's names and surnames (mainly Nella, Dracen(new), Camille(new), and Maël Delaselva, and possibly Gobán and Clarabel). I might just tell you all of the meanings in an A/N of some future chapter… Oh and by the way, I'm not trying to insult French people about 1,000 words in…. Sorry but I'm going on vacation in Maine for a little while so chapter six won't be up for a while… Enjoy!

--CHAPTER FIVE--

Several hours after his twilight exploration, Ash was roughly awoken by his eager roommates. Two of them shook his bed and unintentionally caused him to fall out of bed. As the two scrambled to awake the one still sleeping, he and the dark-haired boy he had met earlier that morning slipped into their robes, now containing blue striped ties denoting their House. In the careening, they all learned one another's names. The dark-haired boy was named Duxo de Marcello, and the first boy to solve the doorknocker's riddle was named Telemacus Delaselva. The two boys who woke everyone up were two identical brothers of a set of dizygotic quadruplets, named Konani and Kharon Davies. Ash didn't quite understand what this meant but was too excited for his first morning at Hogwarts to give it an extensive amount of thought.

In the Entrance Hall, the girls were already waiting for them, as were many of the students. Nella was sporting a pale blue lily behind her ear in a newfound Ravenclaw pride, wearing her beautiful hair tied back in a pony-tail with a matching blue ribbon. Ash noticed a new enormity to the Great Hall, and absence of Beauxbatons as he took a seat between Nella and two identical girls.

"The one next to you is Kalea and the other is Kolbie," Nella hissed into Ash's ear about the identical sisters, after wishing him a good morning.

Suddenly, Maël appeared behind Ash.

In his deep purr, he said to the ten of them, "Professor Clearwater wishes that we sit in the following arrangement. On my side starting at the end of the table, it should be… Empty seat, then Kalea Davies, empty seat, then Kolberta Davies, empty seat, then Darci Scamander, empty seat, then Jespere van Hugh, empty seat, then Ornella Wood."

Ash left his seat as the girls rearranged themselves, and carefully avoided bumping into Maël's dangerous figure. Maël moved to the other side and listed, "From the end: Empty seat, Kharon Davies, Empty seat, Konami Davies, empty seat, Duxo de Marcello, empty seat, Mac Delaselva, empty seat, Ashton Wood. Thank you."

Ash then took his new seat and Maël then moved down the table the second years, arranging the boys alphabetically on Ash's side and the girls likewise on the other. He eventually organized each year in this way, as prefects all around the hall did, and took his seat near the end of the table farthest from Ash, for he was a seventh year. This was probably brought about in order to make the pairing of students much less of a hassle. Students from Beauxbaton's could simply walk to the next seat available on the side pertaining too their gender at the table pertaining to their House, if they were sorted in order of their years of magic education.

Ash looked to the staff table when he heard McGonagall clearing her throat (a sound magically magnified by her wand) and noticed that the table was much longer than it was the night before. Beauxbaton's professeurs were intermixed with the Hogwart's teachers, but still the French students were no were in sight. McGonagall cleared her throat once more, but this time with a surprising force which caused all the students to jump and turn to the staff table, flourishing wands. They all lowered these once McGonagall smiled at them warmly. Then she raised her wand and waved it.

Suddenly, Ash saw the staff table shift sideways and then shrink smaller and smaller, as the second years came into his peripheral vision. Ash looked across the table to see third years, then fourth years, and then fifth years pass him. He then turned behind him to see that, like his table, each first-year segment around the room was approaching the seventh year table, and attaching to its end. Strangely, the expected sensation of skidding across the floor upon a table was not felt by any student. Each entire table would then shift backwards so that they were covering the same area as they had been, leaving Ash sitting at the very end of the table. The tables were arranged in this way so that the first Beauxbaton's student would sit in the first seat available on their genders side, and so that Ash would receive a partner first. He took several deep breaths and prepared himself for the reception of his transfer student. He was shy around strangers.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat once again and Ash was one of the few to turn to her. She, yet again, cleared her throat with an extreme vigor that caused everyone to turn with wands aloft. The wands were once more withdrawn as McGonagall smiled gently at her students.

"My fellow Hogwartians," she said warmly. "Please welcome the first years of Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic, and Professeur Grauppe of the Study of Mystical Beasts and Beings."

She waved her wand at door behind the staff table, sending reddish sparks to the door knob. The door, much taller than it had been before, burst open and an enormous woman paraded out through it, with children dressed in powder blue silk in tow. This woman was not quite as tall has Professor Hagrid or Madam Hagrid, and looked to be in her thirty's. There was a generous swell in her lips and a slight up-turn in her nose, and her curly dark hair fell to her elbows. In her hand was the sorting hat, looking oddly miniscule in her large hand.

As the students and Professeur Grauppe approached the sorting area, McGonagall added, "The Beauxbatons' student who sits on your right, Hogwarts' boys, will be your partner. For the girls, your partner shall be on your left… You may begin the sorting, Maxine."

Professeur Grauppe nodded and placed the hat upon the newfound stool in order to conjure a rather lengthy piece of parchment. In a French accent, she began to call fairly exotic names with sounds Ash heard never heard of in his life. But when the hat bellowed a certain word, each and every first-year ear at the Ravenclaw table perked up.

"Chandemar, Camilla," Professeur Grauppe called.

"RAVENCLAW!" the sorting hat bellowed as the girl sat on the stool, allowing the hat to fall onto her golden-brown curly locks

Ash's eyes darted to the attractive girl as she beamed at their table while striding over to it. Her light brown eyes seemed to fall on Ash more than any other student. There was a roar of applause as Ravenclaw accepted is first foreign student, but it had died down as the next student was sorted into Gryffindor by the time Camilla sat down next to Nella. The first-year Ravenclaws greeted her and she quietly introduced herself to Nella, though still eyeing Ashton with her big, beautiful golden-brown eyes. Feeling a bit awkward, Ash smiled to her sheepishly. She returned this smile with the showing of her own sparkling teeth which complimented her perfectly tan complexion. She was positively radiant, but Ash couldn't stand her gaze. He turned and for the first time payed well attention to the sorting ceremony.

"Couleuvre, Dracen."

A long-legged boy with spiky black hair approached his professeur and the hat she held. The hat fell onto his jet-black spikes and the hall went silent. Ash stared at the boy, as most of the people in the hall did, rather than allowing himself to notice Camilla. This boy was even tanner than Camilla; clearly of Indian descent.

"Ravenclaw!" the hat shouted for a second time.

Ash gasped, but clapped as the boy slithered over to Ravenclaw table and took his seat next to him.

When the applause had subdued, and another girl was being sorted, Dracen extended his broad hand to Ash.

"Dracen Couleuvre," he grinned showing slightly pointed teeth.

"Ash Wood," Ash replied nervously, taking his partner's hand and allowing him to shake it firmly.

Soon thereafter, Ravenclaw gained Sarah Delaselva, and then did not receive any students until Tatienne Tremblay, eventually becoming complete with Zoe Vipont. When all the students had been sorted, the large Professeur spoke once more.

"Is zat every one? Okay, all first years follow moi to the loch."

The Hogwart's first years left their seats and joined their new classmates at the end of the Hall. The discourse of almost two hundred first years followed the woman out of the Great Hall through an opening in the wall she created with her wand. Second-year Beauxbaton's students filled in behind them as the tables resituated.

Down at the lake, the twenty Ravenclaws settled down closer to its shore than any of the other houses, under a large oak tree. Nella began to quietly sing one of her favorite songs as they lazily looked out on the lake. Ash always enjoyed her singing, as she was quite good. It seemed to lull him to sleep as he stared out at the glassy lake, longing to be within it. He didn't quite understand this longing, but it was powerful nonetheless. Then suddenly, quite to Nella's dismay, she was noticed.

"Don't stop," pleaded Camilla. "You're really good."

"Just like zee wood-nymphs back home," added Dracen.

"A lot like zem, actually," said Tatienne staring at Nella.

Zoe nodded in agreement, also looking in the direction of Nella, who smiled and took the compliments bashfully. But she also seemed a bit confused.

"Um- I'm sorry- but… wood-nymphs?" Nella asked the French students.

"You've never 'eard of a wood-nymph?" asked a rather attractive blonde girl.

A majority of the Hogwart's students shook their heads. Even Ash, an expert on all beasts and sensual beings, had never heard of a wood-nymph. Dracen was the one too answer them.

"They're just zese forest guardians 'oo serenade us a Beauxbaton's on Christmas day and at zee opening feast. We didn't really get to see much of zem because…"

He trailed off into silence and all the other transfer students seemed to shift uncomfortably. Ash wanted to ask what happened, but felt that this was not exactly the right time. It seemed to be a rather delicate subject, and a sore spot in the student's memories.

"What do they look like?" asked Nella, changing subject.

Zoe answered, "Oh, zey are beautiful! With long brown hair just like you. Except theirs is curlier and usually ends at their knees."

An auburn haired boy from Beauxbaton's added, "They usually 'ave a few leaves sprouting behind zeir ears, and plants tangled in their hair. I theenk zey can float when zey're in the woods."

"Are they dangerous?" asked Duxo.

"Well, zey can be," informed a dark haired Frenchmen. "If you disturb zeir forest in any negative way."

"But what do they do?" asked Kolbie as her twin looked questioningly at her partner, a very tan girl.

"They usually just zrough curses and force you to leave," the tanned girl answered. "But zey can do much wore."

"Zey're immensely powerful," added Dracen. "I 'eard of one story were a group of zem chased a few wand makers for several miles. Zey morph into surrounding trees so you can't even see zem. Talented vegamagi, most of them."

"Erm," Nella began. "Vegamagi? Are they like… Animagi?... But vegatables?"

Camilla smiled, "Well, sort of- possibly- zey can each turn into a specific plant… usually a tree in the case of a wood nymph… what's on your ear?"

"Huh? Me?" Nella asked. When Camilla nodded, Nella put her hands to her ears.

Her eyes widened in horror. A few bright green ash tree leaves had appeared behind each of her ears. She looked to Ash desperately.

"Do you remember the spell," she asked with a nervous look on her face.

It happened before. Several times, in fact. You see, when Nella was a baby, Roxanne used to take her out to the small number of trees that grew in their yard every spring to help them bloom. You see, these were trees that had been cursed in various ways by criminals to do their evil bidding, and unintentionally stripped of their ability to grow leaves upon the casting of the only countercurse known to wizards. The Wood's took in the poor trees, promising to cast a leaf-sprouting spell every spring to help them bloom. Roxanne loved to take Nella with her because of the way Nella giggled every time the leaves suddenly shot out of the branches. Unfortunately, one of Roxanne's leaf growing charms bounced off of the tree and hit Nella in the face. Leaves consequently burst out of a thoroughly peeved Nella, as Roxanne quickly removed as many as she possibly could. Sadly, she did not remove the leaf on each ear. Once a month, Roxanne would have to place a disillusionment charm upon the leaves. Several times, however, the leaves appeared before the month was up. This was one of those times. Luckily, Roxanne taught Ash the charm so that he could make the leaves invisible when the two of them were at Hogwarts.

"Of course I remember," said Ash taking out his wand as Nella desperately explained.

Though Ash new the incantation and the wand movement, he had of course never used the spell, for the wand was new. In fact, he- like most first years- had never casted a single spell in his entire life. This was a big moment for him. He thought of the words in his head.

'_Dissolvo Fundifolium_'

He then practiced the motion.

'_Swish and flick,'_ he thought.

Now it was time. Almost all of the Ravenclaws were staring at him. He never liked being so public.

Ash concentrated solely on the leaf behind his sister's ear and it's disappearance. He pointed his wand at it. The Ravenclaws were leaning in anxiously but he refused to notice.

"Dissolvo Fundifolium!" he cried as she swished and flicked his wand.

He shut his eyes tightly and heard his sister scream. His eyes flashed open.

"What's wrong- what happened- what did I do to you?" he exclaimed wildly.

Nella looked perfectly fine. "Nothing- it's just that you said the wrong incantation… I got scared."

She smiled sheepishly and gave him an apologetic look.

Ash nodded and said "Sorry…. Oh! That was the spell mom uses to make the tree-leaves fall each autumn… it's actually Abscando Aurifolium…"

A golden leaf suddenly fell onto Ash's lap. He remembered the large oak above him. As he looked up, all of the leaves suddenly fell as a unit and landed over the students. They all laughed and pulled leaves off each other.

"Whoa," Ash said. "It's much too early for the leaves to fall, and I've never seen it happen all at once."

"No, Ash," Nella laughed, pulling a rather brownish leaf out of his curly, dark red hair. "It was your _spell!_"

Ash's eyes widened, "My… my spell?"

He was ecstatic. _Him _doing Magic? It was unbelievable! In this boost of self-confidence amidst the cheers of his class-mates, he pointed his wand at the ever-ready Nella.

"Abscando Aurifolium," he incanted with the wave of his wand.

There was a cool blue light and Ash decided to keep his eyes open wide. It pleased him to see the image of bright green leaves swiftly evanesce. He did it!

"Are they gone?" asked Nella eagerly.

She turned head a few times to let Ash see both sides.

"Yep," Ash replied. "They're both all gone."

"Thanks, Ash!" Nella beamed, but then paused in thought. "Strange, the flash was always golden when mom did it… Oh well, it worked!"

Ash smiled and blushed as several Ravenclaws congratulated him. He looked back to his older sister to see his wandwork, and realized the many leaves entangled in her long brown hair. He then noticed their color changing from golden-brown to grassy green.

"Whoa," said Ash leaning towards his sister. "The leaves got caught in your hair."

The two of them wrenched the leaves out of Nella's well-combed and well-conditioned hair with surprising difficulty. The green leaves looked odd among the decaying ones surrounding them, but no one seemed to notice. They had just witnessed two amazing spells, after all!

"Those leaves were sort of like those blue fin-things behind your ears," remarked Konami.

"Huh?" said Ash, grasping his ears suddenly.

"No, not now," said Kharon. "When you fell in the lake."

Ash then stole a quick, fond look at the glassy lake, and looked back to the twin boys. "What do you mean?"

"You sort of… well, 'changed' by the time you sprung out of the water," Nella offered delicately.

"How so," asked Ashton, perplexed.

"Your feet were like… webbed," Kolbie interjected.

"And like… so were your hands… It was sort of strange- no offense," added Kalea.

"None taken," said a thoroughly flabbergasted Ash. "Why didn't anyone tell me _before_?"

"Well… we thought it was a bit of a delicate topic, we didn't think you'd want us mentioning it," Mac hesitated.

"Well that is true," started Ash. "But you could have at least mentioned it to me!"

"Sorry mate," said Duxo. "There was also some purplish seaweed in your hair if that helps… probably just got stuck their while you were under. You looked a teeny bit bluish, but that must've been an effect of oxygen deprivation."

Duxo was a rather analytical boy, as Ash quickly found, but was also a fierce friend. His loyalty seemed to match that of a Hufflepuff.

Ash nodded in thanks and waited desperately for a subject change. But when it came, he would later wish it hadn't.

"Hem hem," came a high-pitched voice behind Ash.

It was a first year from the nearby group of sniggering Slytherins.

"Um… Excuse me?" Ash replied uncertainly.

"Hem, hem," she repeated as the Ravenclaws simmered down.

He gave Nel a perplexed look before they both looked to the girl as she spoke once more.

"I believe I just saw you perform magic," se simpered.

"What of it?" Ash asked. He examined the girl.

It was quite a frightening sight, in all honesty. She didn't seem to be particularly ugly, but in her quest for beauty she became quite grotesque. What looked sort of like clown make-up was globbed upon her swelling lips in a bright reddish pink, powdered upon her skin to make it fairer, and dabbed upon her plump cheeks to make them rosy. Her short hair was curled a bit more tightly than it should have been, but was held back by a black head band with bright pink polka dots and a matching pink bow.

She seemed a bit stung by Ash's retort, and said, "You're not _supposed_ to use magic outside of well supervised classes."

"Why not?" Ash asked, a bit annoyed. He didn't like the way she stared at him with her wide, orb-like pale green eyes.

"It's _against the rules_," she said impatiently and as if that completely solved the problem.

"Well in certain situations-"began Nella before being cut short.

"Hem hem," she peeped. She seemed a bit angry now, and said "Excuse me for saying this, but I believe you may have accidentally implied that the rules are formulated merely for our convenience. That they only need to be followed when we wish it best?"

"It was no accident," Nella said defiantly.

This seemed to be the last straw for the girl. The anger that lived within that plump body seemed liable to erupt into her dialogue.

"Oh shut up you hinny!" the girl cried, shaking while pointing a stubby finger at the two of them. "The rules must _always_ be followed _exactly_ as they are given. _NO_ exceptions."

She slowly stopped shaking and let out a short, simpering giggle as she swiftly petted an over-poufy pinkish white cat cradled in her short arms. There was an annoying pink boy upon its fluffy head that matched the girl's precisely. It accented the bright pink color of its sinister, slitted eyes on it's flat face. The poor thing looked as if it ran head-first into a speeding Night Bus.

"Hinny?" asked Nella confused, but insulted.

Ash stood up. He had no idea what the word meant but could tell how awful its meaning was, judging by the way it rolled of her putrid tongue with a tint of disgust.

"Yes!" she said, straightening up. "I saw those filthy little leaves growing from your ears and tangled in your hair."

"Um," Nella began, standing up on Ash's left. "It was just a recurring charm that back fired when-"

"Save it," she said briskly, sticking up a stumpy hand with hot pink nails. "Don't further befoul my precious ears… that is if… well if you can understand me of course."

"And why wouldn't she?" Ash said coolly although he was angry.

The girl emitted another one of those simpering laughs with a showing of blindingly white teeth.

"I suppose you couldn't exactly grasp the concept could you, _fish boy_," she said in a way that made Ash feel like a two year old, except for the last two syllable which she emphasized with a sudden drop in octave, peak in hostility, and sickening exaggeration of lip movement. She giggled again, retaining her smug and wicked expression, looking quite pleased with herself.

"That does it!" Ash exclaimed.

His hand plunged swiftly into his billowing robes and withdrew his wand to bare it aloft. But before the smoothed point fixed itself in the direction of the Slytherin girl, two wands rose to his right and three to his left. He looked around and to his right and saw that there was an absolutely beautiful blonde with her hair tied back in a bun, towering above a tiny red-head, bouncing in a mixture of excitement and anger. Clara and Gobán had Ash's back. This touched him in a way 

the two couldn't understand. Gobán flashed Ash a quick smile, but Clara's pale eyes were set on the Slytherin, strands of white-gold hair flowing freely. She looked simply stunning, in Ash's opinion. He then looked to his left. There was of course Nella, but also Camilla and Dracen, all glaring at the girl with jaws set. He also saw another girl join the line, the pretty blond Beauxbaton's pupil.

"Ooo," the girl said, giggling. "You travel in packs now? Well fortunately it takes only one to herd, even if I am very far from canine… Though I shan't say the same about yourselves."

Ash felt a soft breathing on his neck. He turned his neck to see most of the remaining Beauxbaton's Ravenclaws drawing behind him. There was another row of wand-bearing Beauxbaton's Ravenclaws and Hogwart's Ravenclaws and behind them the rest of the Ravenclaws, and some Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs and possibly a Slytherin or two. Second years of varying houses were also approaching, including a couple of Slytherins. A soft spot had been touched.

Unfortunately, not a single shimmer of fear crossed her odd face. She merely smiled and giggled once more, looking sinister.

"Well, this looks like a job for four," she sneered and snapped her plump fingers.

When nothing happened she lost her composure and hissed, "Natasha!" quite angrily, and then regained her poise giggling happily.

Two first-years stumbled from behind the tree both smiling at each other. The boy looked rather pleased with himself, scarlet lipstick smeared over his cunning expression. The girl looked rather soppy and dimwitted, with scarlet smears to match. A thorough snogging had just taken place. But when each saw the expectant look on the girl who called them, they both drew their wands and took on menacing stares to replace their loving gazes. They looked oddly comical bearing both lipstick smudges and angry faces, until they each touched their wands to their faces to remove them. The wands were then pointed to the mob before them. Another, larger and thick-bodied muscular boy also came out from behind the tree and swaggered over to his three friends, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

Ash looked at the scarlet-lipped girl who snogged. He new that terribly pretty face; those slanted, narrow, and heavily-lashed dark brown eyes; the spray-tanned face; and the bleached blond hair. Natasha Zabini.

"Natasha," Ash acknowledged.

"Ashton," she mocked, looking away slightly.

Ash had met her before, at a Ministry party his father was invited to. The girl had kissed Ash right smack dab on the lips (much to his dismay) and the lips of six other boys all in a few hours, despite their age of eight years. Ash noticed that she hadn't changed in that aspect.

"How dare you address her with your insentient tongue!" shouted the curly haired girl.

She began to open her moth and swish her stubby wand as everyone around her and Ash did the same, and more spell-casting Slytherins gathered around her when suddenly, a silvery shield charm shot in between them. The diversely colored spells stopped dead when they hit the enormous shield.


End file.
